Find out how popular the last name Tencer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tencer.

Tencer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tencer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tencer in America

Tencer is the 111426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tencer surname appeared 158 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tencer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tencer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tencer

The surname Tencer is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, with the earliest known references dating back to the late 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Czech word "tenec," which means "a thin or slender person." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptor for someone of a slight build.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tencer can be found in the records of the town of Kutná Hora, a historic silver mining center in the Czech Republic, where a certain Jan Tencer is mentioned in a document from 1487. This document appears to be a record of local landowners and property transactions.

In the 16th century, the name Tencer began to appear in other parts of Bohemia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. A notable example is the Tencer family from the town of Žatec, whose members were involved in the brewing industry and held various civic positions.

During the 17th century, the name Tencer spread further throughout the Czech lands, and some variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Tenczer and Tenzer. This was likely due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

One prominent figure in Czech history with the surname Tencer was Jan Tencer (1592-1668), a Baroque painter and engraver from Prague. He is best known for his religious artworks, many of which can still be found in churches and monasteries throughout the region.

Another notable Tencer was Karel Tencer (1721-1794), a Bohemian theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy. He was a professor at the University of Prague and a member of the Jesuit order.

In the 19th century, the Tencer surname began to spread beyond the Czech lands as people emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Josef Tencer (1832-1901), a Czech-American entrepreneur who founded a successful brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Another Tencer of note was Bedřich Tencer (1856-1923), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Bohemia. His works are held in several museums and galleries in the Czech Republic.

Finally, in the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Tencer was the Czech-American physicist and inventor Jaroslav Tencer (1904-1988). He was instrumental in the development of radar technology and held numerous patents related to electronics and communications.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tencer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tencer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tencer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tencer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tencer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tencer, please contact us.

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